Clemson will host an NCAA Softball Regional for the third time in four years after being named the No. 11 national seed in the 2025 NCAA Softball Tournament. The Tigers, fresh off their first-ever ACC Championship, will welcome three teams to McWhorter Stadium for the double-elimination regional beginning Friday, May 16.
The ACC Champion Tigers (44-12) earned the top seed in the Clemson Regional and will face USC Upstate (39-14) in their opening game Friday at 4:30 p.m. on ACC Network. Kentucky (29-26) and Northwestern (29-18-1) round out the regional field as the second and third seeds respectively, with their matchup scheduled for 2 p.m. on ESPN+.
Path to Oklahoma City
The Clemson Regional winner will advance to a best-of-three NCAA Super Regional against the winner of the Austin Regional, which features No. 6 seed Texas as the host. That Super Regional will take place May 22-25, with the eight Super Regional winners advancing to the Women’s College World Series in Oklahoma City from May 29 to June 5 or 6.
Clemson enters the tournament with significant momentum after capturing their first ACC Championship in program history. The Tigers defeated Florida State 2-1 in the championship game on Saturday, thanks to a decisive two-run home run by Kylee Johnson in the seventh inning. The victory marked Clemson’s first win against the Seminoles and represented the third time the program had reached the ACC tournament finals since 2022.
Tournament Experience
This marks Clemson’s fifth consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance, having qualified every year the program has been eligible. Senior pitcher Brooke McCubbin, who earned her 15th win of the season in the ACC Championship game, will likely play a key role in the Tigers’ postseason run.
The Tigers are part of a record-setting ACC contingent in this year’s tournament. Nine conference teams received bids, the most in ACC history, with Florida State (No. 5) and Duke (No. 14) joining Clemson as national seeds and regional hosts.
Ticket sales for the Clemson Regional began Monday for IPTAY members, with remaining tickets available to the general public starting Wednesday, May 14. Clemson University students can attend all regional games free of charge with valid student ID for berm seating.
